


Sometimes Before it Gets Better, the Darkness Gets Bigger

by Peridaniel



Series: Birdsong [2]
Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Transformation, curse as a metaphor for chronic illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridaniel/pseuds/Peridaniel
Summary: Lilith should be happy about joining the Emperor's Coven, but how can she be with her sister's condition worsening because of the actions she took to get there?
Series: Birdsong [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969123
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> god help me. 
> 
> This started off as a semi-unplanned epilogue third chapter to my last Owl House fic, Felled in the Night, and ended up becoming a completely unplanned sequel which is slowly expanding in my head even now. I was torn on whether I actually wanted to keep going with it, given that its events are probably going to be superceded by canon, but I figured the first fic would probably be suffering the most from that anyway, and hey, fanfiction is made for breaking away from canon. Anything goes, baby, so let's go!
> 
> Title comes from Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy.

Being accepted into the revered Emperor's Coven was an excellent achievement, one that brought about a lot of revelry and celebration. And most of all, it was always one of the greatest moments of pride in the new coven member's life. 

That was how it was supposed to be, anyway. 

Revelry and celebration were the last things Lilith wanted a part of, and pride was the last thing she was feeling. What was there to celebrate when her sister was out there running amok as some kind of owl monster, and how could she possibly feel proud when that situation was her own doing? 

Nonetheless, she painted a smile on her face as she walked into the Hexside cafeteria, where balloons were taped on the tables and scattered across the ceiling and a banner reading _CONGRATULATIONS LILITH!!!_ hung across the wall. Upon seeing her enter, the students and teachers around the room cheered and clapped. 

"Lilith Clawthorne," Principal Bump began as he walked up to her, "I always knew from the moment you began enrolling here that you'd be meant for something great. And now, here you are, ready to join the great Emperor's Coven. This is a moment of great honor for you." 

_There's no honor in what I've done to get here._ "Yes, sir," she quietly responded. "Thank you." 

He proudly nodded and walked away. "Good luck out there." 

Lilith watched him go, and when he was far away enough, dropped her fake smile and looked down at her feet with a quiet groan. 

This moment of sulking didn't last long as she saw three more people walk up to her. A pink-skinned girl with three eyes and long red hair was the leader of the group and was followed by a tall boy with curly pink hair and a blonde girl with an eye for a face.

"Hey, Clawdork," the group's leader said. "Congrats on making it to the Emperor's Coven. Or, I should say, congrats on lucking out of actually having to fight your way into it because Little Sister decided to be nice." 

Lilith cringed at the memory of the would-be duel and how Eda forfeited it for her, and felt her stomach sink as she was once again reminded of her own jealousy and inadequacy that led her to doing what she did. 

"Hope you know that your real opponents aren't gonna throw fights for you," the girl continued. With a shark's grin on her face that contradicted what she was saying, she added, "Oh, and speaking of the baby Clawdork, hope she gets whatever that was figured out. You already have to be related to the school's resident delinquent, would hate to be related to the resident monster on top of that. How's that gonna look to the Emperor?" She and the rest of her group laughed. 

"Oh, knock it off, Priscilla." Odalia Blight was now walking to the scene with an irritated expression. "She still had to work for it, didn't you, Lilith?" Her mouth turned into a smirk and her eyes narrowed. 

"Uh..." Lilith hesitated, not wanting her mistake to spread any further. 

"Besides, we can't control who we're related to," she added. "I'm sure Emperor Belos would understand that just because her sister's an ugly freak doesn't mean anything. After all, it's not like she had anything to do with it." 

"Whatever," Priscilla said, walking away. 

"So sorry about her attitude, Lilith," said Odalia, turning her attention to Lilith. "You know how she is. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you. You really did it, Clawthorne. You actually did it." 

"You..." Lilith pointed her finger at the other girl's chest with narrowed eyes. "You lied to me." 

Odalia's facial expression didn't change. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Lilith responded with gritted teeth. "You told me it was harmless. And now, you're gonna tell me how to fix it." 

Odalia shook her head and folded her arms. "No, actually, I'm not." 

"You better, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Lilith paused while Odalia stared back at her with unblinking eyes. "Tell me what you're gonna do, Clawdork. Tell me what the naive, powerless Lilith Clawthorne who had to curse her own sister to even stand a fighting chance at getting where she is now will do to me if I don't tell her how to fix what she did." 

"I-" Lilith caught herself talking too loud and quieted her voice down. "I only did it because _you_ told me it would be harmless. You lied to me." 

"And how do you know I lied to you? Maybe I just didn't know how it worked and made an honest mistake picking that one out for you. Maybe you did it wrong. Hell, maybe I did lie to you. At any rate, I was just the one who suggested it. You were the one who followed through with it. I'm not the one who put the curse on your stupid sister, you are. And no matter what you accuse me of, or even if those accusations are true, that will never change." 

Lilith's right hand curled into a fist and she stepped back. She had never felt tempted to resort to physical violence in any situation- that was Eda's way of resolving conflict, not hers- but at that moment, she had wanted to wipe the floor with Odalia more than ever before. The nerve of that girl, lying about the nature of a spell and then turning it around on her! 

But it was still a spell she cast. At any moment, she could have said no. At any moment, she could have turned back from what she was doing and forgot all about any curse. At any moment, she could have taken a single damn moment to think and realize that Odalia was not to be trusted. 

Odalia played a part in it, but what happened to Eda was Lilith's fault. 

"Piss off, Blight." Another voice joined in after a few moments of silence. "Go find your pet Alador and make out in the bathroom or something." 

Odalia snorted. "Whatever, loser. I've had enough anyway." She then walked away, leaving Elliot to take her place. 

"What's her damage on you?" she asked. "She got her undies in a twist because you're actually succeeding in life more than she ever will?" 

Lilith sighed. Part of her wanted to spit out everything, but Elliot was Eda's friend just as much as hers. She couldn't find out. 

"I guess," she mumbled back. 

"Well, you're looking glum, and Odalia's shit doesn't usually bother you this much anymore, so I'm assuming-" she grimaced- "Eda's still monster mode." 

"I don't know," replied Lilith. "I wanted to go after her, but with all this induction and celebration crap, I haven't even had time to find my parents and tell them about it all." 

"Damn." Elliot narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Man, I swear, this whole thing has Blight written all over it." 

_Well, I guess she's not wrong there. Do I tell her that? No, no, then she'll ask how I know, and I'll have to explain everything. That or she'll go and confront her and then she'll explain everything._ Instead of making any comment on that, Lilith sat at an empty table. "It just sucks." 

"I know it sucks," Elliot responded, sitting across from her. "And it sucks that it happened today. You're supposed to be happy about joining the Emperor's Coven right now, not stressing out over your sister. And she should be celebrating with you." 

Lilith looked down at the table and slowly nodded. "You know what?" she asked with a sigh. "I'm not in the mood for partying. Do you wanna get the hell outta here and go find Eda?" 

"Oh, honey, I'm _always_ in the mood for ditching cheesy school events. No offense." 

"None taken." Lilith summoned illusions of herself and Elliot and the two quietly slipped out the door.

* * *

Eda's mind was still reeling from the day's events as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. What was that thing that she had turned into, and why did she turn into it in the first place? And, what scared her more, what if she hadn't forfeited the duel and had transformed while battling her sister? She cringed at that thought. 

_At least she's in the Emperor's Coven now,_ she thought, smiling slightly. _She's probably being swamped with congratulations right now. Maybe Odalia Blight is kissing the ground she's walking on._

She snickered. _Maybe I should go out and celebrate with her._ She had been feeling better since coming home and definitely didn't feel any new feathery transformation coming on. Maybe it was just a one time thing. This thought faltered as she glanced down at the gray streak in her hair. _And maybe that will go back to normal if that's the case. I hope._

She got up off her bed and threw on a Hexside school hoodie, struggling to hide all of her hair, particularly the odd gray streak, in its hood, and made her way out the door. 

_Besides, knowing Lilith, the poor sap is probably too worried about me to celebrate._

* * *

"Edalyn!" Lilith put her hands around her mouth and called. "Come back to me, Eda!" 

"She's not a dog," Elliot said flatly, following behind her. 

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?" 

"She looked like some kind of owl thing. You Clawthornes are supposed to be the bird experts. What can draw out an owl?" 

"Hm." Lilith thought for a moment. "Um, do you have anything shiny?" 

"Not on me, but maybe someone dropped a shiny bottle cap or something. Shiny garbage is everywhere." 

Lilith made a disgusted face. "Well, if you wanna scout for garbage, be my guest." 

Elliot rolled her eyes. "It's for your sister, ya big wuss."

"What's for me?" 

Both Elliot and Lilith screamed and jumped at the sudden voice coming from right behind them, Lilith completely losing her balance and falling forward. A pale hand grabbed her by her waist before she could hit the ground and pulled her back up before spinning her around. 

"Titan's sake, Lily," Eda said between laughs. "Didn't think I'd scare you that much." The laughter subsided. "Anyway, I take it you two were looking for me?" 

Lilith looked back at Eda with wide eyes. She seemed okay, as if the earlier transformation hadn't occurred. Was it over? Was the curse not as bad as it initially seemed? 

"Yea," Elliot answered Eda's question. "Are you okay? No more owl monster thing?" 

"Yea, I think I'm all good now," replied Eda. "For now, anyway." 

"Thank goodness," Lilith whispered. 

"Yea," said Eda. "This is supposed to be your big day, Lily. I don't want whatever this is screwing it up." 

Lilith bit her lip and frowned. She had screwed it up herself, and even seeing her sister okay didn't negate that.

"So, how about we all head back to Lilith's big party?" asked Elliot. 

Eda snorted. "You two were at a school party? Come on. You deserve a bigger celebration than that, Lily. Big dinner on me, then a real party at home. An Eda Clawthorne party." She smiled widely and marched onward. 

Lilith smiled and laughed eagerly and followed after her sister with a light jog. Things seemed alright, and for a short period of time, she forgot about the curse.

* * *

Eda's constant yawning and slow movements made Lilith slightly nervous that the shouldn't be doing the job she was doing, but her sister's focus didn't seem to be wavering as she continued to stroke the blackened brush down her hair.

"I didn't know you had any aptitude for this kind of stuff," said Lilith. 

"I stole some notes from a kid who joined some 'beauty coven' a few months ago," Eda explained. 

"What for?" 

"Well, remember how I gave Miss Krevlorn's hair tiger stripes that lasted for a month? That's how I learned to do it quick and efficiently." She placed the brush down and smiled in satisfaction. "Like so." 

"That was a classic," Elliot, who was standing in the corner of the room, said with a smile. "And you still got it." 

Lilith looked in the mirror, impressed with her sister's work. Her former red curls were now straight and indigo, and she had to admit, it made her a great deal more intimidating. This look would be perfect for the Emperor's Coven. 

"Now, how about we show off that new look to everyone?" asked Eda. 

Lilith smiled and nodded, and the three walked out of her room and into the living room, where balloons were hanging all around, loud music was playing, and various classmates were dancing to the music and chatting with one another. 

Eda rushed over to the radio and turned it down, turning everyone's focus towards her. She climbed onto the counter the radio was sitting on and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, my Emperor's Coven-ready sister, Lilith Clawthorne!" 

She pointed to Lilith across the room and everyone else followed where she was pointing. After a few moments taking in her new look, they began to cheer. 

"Nice hair!" one boy said. 

"Yea," another agreed.

"You look, like, _so_ perfect for the coven," a girl said. 

"Thank you, everyone." Lilith bashfully smiled as she walked through the crowd, receiving hard but well-meaning slaps on the back from her former grudgby teammates and high fives and cheers from everyone else. 

"You're the gal of the hour," Elliot said. 

"And you deserve it," added Eda, jumping down from the counter. "You're gonna do great out-" she blinked a few times and faltered- "out there." 

Lilith's smile faded. "Are you alright?" 

Eda gripped onto the edge of the counter. Her head was suddenly pounding and her vision was starting to fade in and out. 

"Eda?" Lilith's voice grew more concerned. 

"What's the matter?" Elliot grabbed onto one of her friend's arms. 

Before Eda could make an attempt to respond, she felt her legs collapse from beneath her and her world went to a dull, lifeless gray.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it wasn't until I got about halfway through writing this chapter that I realized that elliot is very useless in this story. i mean, the only reason she was put into this was so i could give my Hot Take on a background character I saw, and since I didn't plan on going this far... eh, she'll still get her moments and there is definitely a place for her in the story. anyways...

"Hello?" Eda called out. "What's going on? Lily? Elliot?" 

Suddenly, the gray void she was in morphed into a more warm brown color, and posters and photos formed around it. It was her bedroom. 

"Did they take me back here?" she asked herself. She glanced off to her side and gasped as she saw her own sleeping form in her bed. Before she could process this, she heard the sound of a door creaking open and looked towards the door in her room. 

Standing at it was a strange, distorted silhouette, the only features Eda could see on it being large white eyes with no irises or pupils. 

"What's happening?" she cried. "Who are you?" 

The figure began to step into the light as Eda watched with intense interest...

"Edalyn!" 

Eda opened her eyes with a grunt and saw Lilith standing over her. Shifting around, she saw that Elliot was crouched down to the floor holding the upper half of her body off the ground, and that everyone else was staring at her.

"What just happened?" she asked, pushing herself off the ground as Elliot helped her to her feet. 

"You passed out," replied Lilith, who looked more terrified than Eda had ever seen her. 

"Also, um, what's up with your hair?" asked Elliot. 

Eda turned her head to her side and realized that her hood was down, and the gray streak she had been trying to hide was on display. 

"I-I don't know," Eda stammered in reply. 

"Well, are you alright now?" Lilith asked. 

"I- _ah!_ " Before Eda could finish her answer, she suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot up through her body. The same sharp pain she had felt as she was walking away from the Witches' Duel. 

She looked at Lilith with wide eyes. "Run." When Lilith only looked back in shock, she reached her hand out and lightly pushed her. "I mean it, Lily, get the hell away from me." She turned to her friend who was standing beside her. "You too, Elliot. Both of you, go, before-" Her sentence was cut off by another wave of pain, this one sending her to her knees with a scream. 

"Eda!" shouted Lilith, her voice breaking. She looked down at her sister, whose fingernails were growing into long, black claws and whose arms were becoming covered in feathers. 

"Lily..." Eda weakly cried as she fell to the ground. 

Elliot ran to the radio, turned it off, and stepped up on the counter. "Everybody out! Party's over!" 

As she rushed to shuffle everyone out the door, Lilith knelt down by her sister's side and put her hand on her back. 

"Please stay with me," she said, her voice soft but on edge. "You can fight this. You _need_ to fight this. Please!" 

"I can't," Eda responded through gritted teeth. "You have to go." 

As feathers sprouted from her hair, she looked up at her sister with a trembling head, her eyes clouded with fear and pain. 

"Edalyn," she began weakly, "I'm sor-" 

She was cut off by Eda suddenly shooting upwards and screaming, her voice distorted by what sounded like a bird call. From there, it wasn't long before the rest of the transformation completed and she was, once again, an owl monster. While Lilith stared on with shock, Elliot ran over and dragged her away as the beast roared and swung its clawed hand downward towards where Lilith just was. 

As the beast stepped closer, Lilith finally came out of her stupor and stepped back with her hands up. "Eda, it's me!" 

To her surprise, the beast's eyes widened and it also stepped back, putting the hand it was about to use for an attack down on the ground. 

Lilith slowly and tentatively came closer to the beast and put her hand on the side of its head. It flinched in response at first, but calmed down again after a few seconds. 

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice going quiet. She said again, in a barely audible whisper, "I'm so sorry..." 

The beast closed its eyes and lay down, pushing its head closer to Lilith's hand and softly whimpering. 

"I think she recognizes you," said Elliot, watching from a short distance. "I think- I think she feels safe around you." 

Lilith softly placed her other hand on the beast's face. "Are you in there, Edalyn?" 

The beast whimpered more in response, its eyes fading to Eda's natural yellow again. 

It had been a long time since Lilith had seen those golden eyes colored with such terror. There was the time Eda had gotten burned by boiling rain when she was four, the time she had gotten lost in the woods when she was seven, the countless times she had upset their parents before she was old enough to stand up for herself against them, the nightmares she had when she was younger... Everytime, it broke Lilith's heart to see her sister get so scared, and everytime, she wiped her tears and soothed her. 

But those times, it wasn't Lilith's fault. 

Nonetheless, she continued to speak softly and as calmly as her shaking voice would allow. "I know you're scared right now. I am, too. But it's gonna be okay. I'm gonna be leaving soon, and I hate that I can't help you through this, but I love you, and I promise I'm gonna find a cure for this, and-and I won't stop until I do." 

The beast lowered its head and leaned it in the crook of Lilith's neck. Lilith wrapped her arms around its feathery, furry body, and repeated, "Don't be scared. It'll be okay. I love you." 

After a few moments, Lilith felt the weight on her shoulder slowly decrease as the feeling of feathers and fur were replaced with the fabric of the hoodie Eda was wearing. The heaviness of her sister's limp body and the slow rise and fall of her back under the hoodie indicated that she was out cold. 

Lilith, trying her best to keep her movements slow and light, flipped her sister's sleeping form around and kept one arm around her shoulder. She shot a look to Elliot, who nodded in understanding and walked over to Eda's other side, hoisting her other arm around her shoulder. The two then lifted her feet off the ground and dragged her to her bedroom in silence.

* * *

After a night of dreamless sleep, Eda saw the light of the morning sun cracking through her window and she slowly let her eyes open. Her head was killing her, and she felt something on her hand, but she was too tired to figure out what it was. The events of the previous night were muddled in her mind; she remembered the party she had thrown for Lilith, she remembered passing out, and she remembered... _Oh no._

Her eyes snapped open and she winced as the sudden increase in light worsened her headache, but stopped focusing on that fairly quickly. She had become the owl beast again. In the middle of a party crowded with people. In the haze, she remembered Elliot filing everyone out, but what if she had been too slow and Eda had accidentally hurt someone there? Or, even worse, what if she accidentally hurt Lilith or Elliot? 

She shifted her body to the right and turned her head to look around. Lilith was sitting in a chair right next to her bed with her hand idly resting on Eda's and her head slumped to her side with her eyes closed. On the floor of the room, she saw a sleeping bag with Elliot's head and one of her arms poking out of it and her glasses placed next to it. They had stayed with her through the night and both seemed uninjured. Eda breathed a quiet sigh of relief. 

"Lilith," she whispered, shifting herself up. 

Lilith's head immediately shot up as she woke up with a snort. After adjusting her glasses, she looked down at Eda with anxious eyes. "What? What's the matter?" 

A grunt alerted both of them to Elliot also waking up. She propped herself up on her elbow and squinted at Eda and Lilith. "Is she awake?" 

"Yes," Lilith replied. 

Elliot nodded as she put her glasses on. "No feathery surprises?" 

"Not as of right now." 

Eda slumped back down until her head hit her pillow again. "What happened last night?" 

"You became that... that thing again," answered Lilith softly. "But I managed to calm you down until you turned back." 

Eda closed her eyes and thought back to the mess in her mind. She still couldn't remember much, but she could make out anxiety, terror, and a vague image and feeling of Lilith holding her close. 

"What's happening to me?" she asked flatly.

Lilith looked down at her lap with a frown. "I, um-" 

"We don't know," Elliot interjected, getting out of the sleeping back and walking to Eda's bedside. "But whatever it is, we're gonna figure it out." 

"But Lilith," said Eda, "you have to leave soon, don't you?" 

"The bus is coming this afternoon," Lilith replied with a nod. "I don't think I want to go anymore." 

Eda gasped. "Are you kidding me? You've always wanted to be in the Emperor's Coven! You're getting the opportunity you've always dreamed of here!" 

"And you're sick," Lilith replied firmly. "I can't leave you like this. Elliot and all our other friends aren't always gonna be there to try and bring you back if you turn again, if they even can, and it's not like you're gonna get any help from Mom and Dad." 

Eda sat in silence for a few moments before rubbing her head and sighing. "Look, this sucks, and I really wish it weren't happening now. And I also kinda wish you could be here to help me, but this is big. You can't just give it up because of me." 

Lilith's jaw tightened and her hands curled into fists on her lap. Eda thought for a moment that she could see tears brimming in her sister's eyes before she suddenly got out of her chair and briskly walked out of the room. 

_Damn it, why does she have to be so kind to me?_ she thought to herself as she paced around the kitchen, blinking away tears. _I can't go. I don't deserve to go._

Her mind wandered back to various moments throughout their childhood and adolescence. Eda getting into fights with bullies, sending abominations after lunch money thieves, and so much more, all for her. _She's done so much for me, and I hurt her. The least I could do is be there for her._

But then she stopped and looked down. _But if there's anything with the power to heal her of whatever this is, it will be at my disposal in the Emperor's Coven._

_And besides,_ her eyes narrowed, _it's not fully my fault. That... that bitch Odalia is the one who put me up to this! She knew exactly what she was doing. And if I'm in the Emperor's Coven, I can make her pay._

"Hey, what's the matter?" 

Lilith's thoughts were broken by the sound of Eda's voice as she walked into the kitchen, hands in the pocket of her hoodie. Elliot followed close behind. 

"I get that you're upset, but you're acting so..." Eda awkwardly chuckled... "I dunno, dramatic."

"Come on, E, we're both worried about you," Elliot said. 

"I know, but I mean, Lily looked like she was about to burst into flames." She got closer to Lilith. "I know things are bad, but I'll be okay. You turned me back yesterday, so we know that it can be done." 

"Look, Eda..." Lilith paused for a moment, thinking of how to choose her next words. How could she tell her the truth? 

"Not taking whatever you're about to say," Eda said with a smile. "I'll be fine and you're gonna be a superstar."

"But-" 

"No buts. Now, come on. Let's get you ready to go." 

Lilith frowned. Why did she have to make telling the truth so difficult? 

"I said come on!" Eda was once again walking towards their bedrooms. 

Lilith shook her head and followed. _I'll find a way to heal her. I'll make things right. And I'll do it in the Emperor's Coven._

"Do you really think you're gonna be okay?" Elliot whispered to Eda as they waited for Lilith to catch up to them. "Cause I dunno." 

Eda shrugged and gave a resigned smile. "I don't know either. But I want her to think that."

* * *

By afternoon, the two sisters sat in front of their house and watched the sky for the bus. Despite a few clouds hanging about in the air, the sun was shining and the sky was light. Eventually, through the clouds, the bus flew in towards the house. 

"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave," Lilith said with an anxious frown. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" 

"Ask me that one more time and I'll kick your ass," answered Eda. "Just shut up and go. Knock 'em dead. Make the world a better place like you've always wanted." 

The bus pulled up in front of the house and the man in control of it eyed Lilith. "Lilith Clawthorne, it is time to join the ranks of the Emperor's Coven." 

Lilith wrapped her sister in a hug. "Stay safe, Eda. I love you." 

Eda hugged her back and gave her a playful punch on the arm after breaking away. "Love you too, nerd." 

Lilith took one last look at her sister. At the face of the person she did wrong in a way she would regret for the rest of her life. She would find a way to fix things. She had to. 

Quickly pulling Eda in one last time, she gave her sister a soft, small kiss on the forehead before hopping on the bus and waving goodbye. Eda looked up with crossed eyes at her forehead for a moment before laughing and waving back, and the bus lifted up off the ground again. 

"Well, that was the most revolting thing I've seen all day," a high pitched voice said. 

Lilith looked down at her feet where a small, red-skinned girl with a severed hand for hair stood, staring indignantly at her. Lilith rolled her eyes and looked back at the sky going by. 

For better or worse, it was time to take the reward she didn't deserve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Here I am, living a dream that I can't hold  
>  Here I am on my own...  
> On top of the world, on top of it all  
> Trying to feel invincible_  
> -Top of the World, Greek Fire

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of sibling fluff in this one because, even when it's colored with dramatic irony, sibling fluff is my SHIT. Buuuut it's not gonna last, so think of this as your little warmup before the real angst begins.
> 
> also in case you couldn't tell by some light hints I put in there, I definitely hc the clawthorne parents to be... not great, for a lot of reasons. this may or may not be expanded upon...


End file.
